Knocked Up barely meets the “romance” quota that qualifies it as a romantic comedy but fear not fellas—it’s mostly comedy and of the highest grade. The movie centers around two twentysomethings who couldn’t be more different: gorgeous careful career-minded Alison (Katherine Heigl) and beastly reckless foggy-minded Ben (Seth Rogen). After a promotion at her job working for the E! network Alison decides to cut loose for one night and celebrate. She and her sister (Leslie Mann) go out to a local club where they meet Ben and his stoner friends (Jason Segel Jay Baruchel Jonah Hill and Martin Starr). One drink leads to another and before long Alison is drunk enough to take Ben home and into bed. Eight weeks later Alison is singing the morning-sickness blues and sure enough pregnancy test after pregnancy test confirms her worst fear: bun in the oven...from a one-night stand...with a guy who repulsed her when she saw him through sober eyes. So she decides to tell manchild Ben that he knocked her up and it changes everything—well sorta. Meet Seth Rogen this year’s Steve Carell Award winner for Breakout Star and Best Unknown Lead. Of course neither Carell nor Rogen was truly unknown before his respective breakout—Rogen it could be argued really broke out in last year’s 40-Year-Old Virgin alongside Carell—but the Everyman appeal and unlikely ascension to stardom between the two are similar. As with Virgin Rogen is hilarious primarily with the delivery of the absurdity he spews. And not only does Rogen display a surprising soft-ish side when necessary he projects something so relatable that you’ll swear you’ve had a Ben in your circle of friends at one point. The glue of the onscreen relationship and chemistry is Heigl. The Grey’s Anatomy star shows that she’s much more than a pretty face convincingly going hormonal as hell while improving upon the comedic chops she hinted at in the god-awful The Ringer. Mann writer/director Judd Apatow’s real-life wife and the only other source of estrogen in the movie is very much game for the pot(ty mouth) humor but it’s Paul Rudd as Mann’s cynical husband who seems to be Apatow’s comedic muse. Already a member of the Frat Pack it’s only a matter of time before Judd makes Rudd his lead. Judd Apatow has been working for much longer than most people care to realize but he finally made a splash (read: box office hit) with last year’s Virgin and Knocked Up solidifies him as the one to beat when it comes to comedy. Apatow combines certain elements that make his style reign supreme. First and foremost is a distinct note of improvisation that makes his actors—many of whom he repeatedly employs—feel at home and thus his audiences do as well. Then there’s his affection for the underdog which is no doubt how he sees or once saw himself. It not only endears him to his ever-growing fan base it’s a theme that grows on you throughout the course of his movies (namely his last two) convincing you that sometimes the good guy CAN get the girl. Knocked Up builds on both themes: The actors seem like they sat around with Apatow took one toke too many and started riffing on each other and pop culture; and Rogen is certainly Apatow’s underdog a nod to underdog dreamers everywhere and to comedy by implying “Would it be funny if the movie was George Clooney trying to woo Katherine Heigl?” He caps it off in mature real-world fashion to mimic his protagonist’s arc by throwing in some sentimentality. It's effective and seems credible which sums up all of Apatow's work.

Pretty people just don’t understand—you’re not safe anywhere and all the sadists are after YOU! As the two geniuses in The Hitcher Grace (Sophia Bush) and her boyfriend Jim (Zachary Knighton) learn real quickly a cross-country trek to New Mexico in a beat-up car is especially risky. During their first night out on the open road it’s raining cats and dogs when they almost run over a man (Sean Bean) who’s standing aimlessly in the middle of the street his car apparently broken down. The young couple decides against lending him a helping hand with it pouring down rain and all. Bad move. When they stop for gas later Jim and Grace cross paths with the man who goes by the name of John Ryder. He asks the couple if he might hitch a short ride with them to a local motel. This time they oblige. Bad move. One aspect the studio must’ve loved about The Hitcher: Being shot primarily in a car the cast cannot feasibly be more than three deep—four tops. That also means that said cast must wear the tension well if the camera is to be on them throughout. Bush (TV’s One Tree Hill) the movie’s biggest asset as far as its target audience is concerned shrieks well and most importantly is smokin'. And when it comes time to fight back she doesn’t look so bad doing it even if there’s scant giggling in the theater at the now clichéd image of a weapon-wielding hot chick. As the hugely sadistic villain Bean (GoldenEye the LOTR movies et al) is more than adequately creepy. There’s something to be said with most of The Hitcher’s viewers’ inability to recognize him because an A-list movie star just wouldn’t work in this role. Obscurity aside Bean his face lurking around every corner will simply creep the crap out of the young audience. As for Knighton he seems and looks like the garden-variety up-and-comer and try as I might there’s nothing wrong with his biggest role to date—except a scene of um tug-of-war that is tough to watch or look away from. Veteran actor Neal McDonough also pops in with a brief role as a sheriff caught in the proverbial crosshairs. These days it’s tough to come up with anything new in a horror film—so directors just don’t bother. Save for neo-horror maestro Eli Roth there’s no originality to be seen especially when seemingly 99 percent of horror movies are remakes and when they’re not remakes they’re Primeval or Turistas. The Hitcher is much better than those two but director Dave Meyers truly eliminates most of the psychological aspect of the original 1986 Hitcher in exchange for a polished contemporary feel. Of course Meyers is one the most renowned music video directors of the past several years so it's no surprise when he mistakes volume for thrills; in fact the decibels will be the chief reason for almost all of the audience’s screaming. Not that there aren’t scary moments however. The writers Jake Wade Wall (When a Stranger Calls) and Eric Bernt (Romeo Must Die) actually get the film off to a brisk smooth start but they ultimately turn John Ryder into more of a Terminator-like character and ask for too many leaps of faith and suspensions of disbelief—again not that their intended audience won’t indulge them. At least the studio had the guts to retain the intended 'R' rating!

In The Sentinel the president (David Rasche) faces a whole new threat: the Secret Service. One of its most respected agents Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is assigned to take care of the first lady (Kim Basinger) and does he ever! He has an affair with her which while utterly absurd sets the real story in motion. He receives steamy photos of the two in a blackmail scheme that he learns is part of an assassination attempt on the Prez for which he’s being framed. The agent spearheading the investigation David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) grows skeptical of Garrison whom he thinks had an affair with his wife. Before long Garrison’s on the lam in true “it wasn’t me it was the one armed guy” fashion. He’ll stop at nothing to clear his name and bring the bad guy(s) to justice even if it means hooking up to the Internet from a gas station (?) via his Dell computer the tech brand apparently most trusted by the Secret Service. Michael Douglas is back and…the same as ever. He loves to play his roles safe and it doesn’t get safer for him than the urbane almost-over-the-hill pro who yells a lot. He has a stranglehold on baby boomers who’ve stuck with him through thick and Catherine Zeta-Jones and they won’t be disappointed. Sutherland--the son of over-actors if Douglas is the father thereof--acts like he was filming on his 24 set which will make his devoted fans just as happy. The actors engage in one shouting match and it’s as engrossing as it is hilarious surprisingly. There should’ve been more of that dynamic since it’s apparently why people like these two. Eva Longoria appears in her first big movie to date and while she shows promise she’s dug herself a deep (pigeon)hole with Desperate Housewives: Fans long for a scantily clad drama queen not a docile fully clothed rookie agent. Think Sandra Bullock’s first big film role: Demolition Man. For a brief moment The Sentinel entertains us with an interesting and perhaps topical notion that a Secret Service agent with clear access to the president could be plotting an assassination. But then that’s where all the “entertaining” parts of the movie ceases of course. S.W.A.T. director Clark Johnson is at the helm here and he does up Washington D.C. Hollywood-style (in addition to giving himself a brief but important role in the film). Johnson tries to insert Sentinel into his S.W.A.T. template but S.W.A.T. for starters was R-rated and Sentinel should’ve been. When it’s not tripping over its implausibility The Sentinel trips over its predictability thanks to all of its more original predecessors from which it pilfers. And there’s so much product placement that if the film doesn’t do well at the box office we could see a ripple effect throughout the entire economy.

The brothers Carlyle--K.C. (Steve Howey) and Trip (Mike Vogel)--have had just about enough of cleaning pools as a way to get by so they decide to fully pursue their dreams of making it to the top of the Motocross world. In their first run Trip the younger of the two siblings trips (couldn't resist) and wipes out breaking his leg and damaging his career. His big brother is then deemed the better prospect and signs on with a big-name racing team. Meanwhile Trip arguably possessing more natural ability out of the two wallows in self-pity and reverts back to his old self-destructive ways instead of trying to get back into shape to ride again. But don't fret. With K.C.'s burgeoning career in full swing Trip gets just the pick-me-up he needs from his girlfriend Piper (Cameron Richardson) and resolves to at the very least help his brother rise to the top. If it still is not inherently clear enough how the movie ends up well then you're probably the one person Supercross is searching for.
When one of your marquee names in a film--a name that's going to ultimately help attract an audience--is a guy who's most famous for a cult classic two decades ago (Revenge of the Nerds) you know you're in trouble. That's right Skolnick's back. Robert Carradine arguably gets his biggest role since Nerds as the owner of the racing company who signs K.C. While there's nothing wrong with his performance you can't help but wish you were watching a Nerds reunion movie instead. The rest of the acting is fine but it's a non-factor with relative unknowns rounding out the cast. Howey and Vogel bear striking resemblances to Ben Affleck and a younger more disheveled Brad Pitt respectively and their performances are solid but their careers certainly aren't going to blossom with Supercross on their resumes. TV's One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush lends her name and beauty to a supporting role as K.C.'s girlfriend Zoe. Oops almost forgot. Aaron Carter (yes the same teeny booper pop star Aaron Carter) who still doesn't look a day over nine years old is supposed to pass as a weary Motorcross racer. Hmmm...
Supercross director Steve Boyum has had his hand in a great many films in years past--as a stunt coordinator and stuntman. His only other true foray into directing aside from a couple straight-to-video releases was the 1998 dud Meet the Deedles. Supercross obviously highlights Boyum's expert experience in the stunt department even if the effects looks cheesy but unfortunately his lack of experience directing is also evident. It's not entirely his fault however. There really isn't anywhere to go with such an anemic script as well as with a subject matter that has no business being made into a feature film except as a mildly interesting documentary. Whether you're dozing off or covering your ears from the decibel levels the film just doesn't connect.Supercross is sort of on par with the 1998 colossal failure Rollerball. Both films are about fringe sports. But the Rollerball remake came with much larger expectations--and frankly looks like a Orson Welles-ian masterpiece compared to Supercross.

A Hollywood movie starring Bruce Willis and Justin Timberlake has come under
fire for endangering the outcome of a high-profile murder trial.
Alpha Dog is based on the brutal murder of 15-year-old Nick Markowitz in 2000--but Jesse James Hollywood will be on trial for the crime when the movie is released later this year.
James Blatt, a top Hollywood defense lawyer, told a Californian court
June 30 that prosecutors, detectives and witnesses had all come
forward with information for the making of the movie.
Blatt appealed to Superior Court Judge Brian Hill to ban any more information
about the case being released. Hill agreed to consider the request at next
week's hearing.
Markowitz was kidnapped and shot nine times before being buried in a shallow
grave, according to police reports.
Hollywood allegedly planned the killing because Markowitz's half-brother owed
him $1,200 in drug related debts.
Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.

Top Story: Valenti To Step Down as MPAA Head
Jack Valenti, who has held the Motion Picture Association of America's top post for 38 years and oversaw the creation of Hollywood's movie ratings system in the 1960s, announced at the annual ShoWest convention Tuesday that he plans to retire, possibly within three months, The Associated Press reports. "I look at this with mixed emotions, because when you've done something so long, it's difficult to tear yourself away from it," Valenti told reporters before making the announcement to theater owners in a convention opening address. "But also, in any job, you want to leave before people ask you to leave." MPAA has hired media recruiter Spencer Stuart to hunt for a new leader for the trade group, which represents Hollywood's top seven studios--Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and MGM. Valenti said he would maintain an "umbilical relationship" with the MPAA and Hollywood, though he was not certain what that role would be. "I've been blessed with some genetic energy, so I'm not going to fade away," Valenti said.
It's Jackson's Turn To Sue
Usually the target of lawsuits, Michael Jackson filed his own Monday against New Jersey businessman Henry Vaccaro, claiming he is illegally selling private property belonging to the pop star and his famous family on the Internet, Reuters reports. The lawsuit claims Vaccaro obtained letters, pictures, song lyrics and other items belonging to Jackson through a bankruptcy sale involving the Jackson's parents, Joseph and Katherine, and held by Vaccaro and that he has no right to sell them. Jackson's attorney Brian Wolf told Reuters that because Michael Jackson was not part of the bankruptcy, his property should not have been sold and Vaccaro had no claim to it.
Rhymes Sentenced to Six Months' Probation
Rapper Busta Rhymes received six months' probation after pleading no contest Tuesday to an assault charge, AP reports. According to the police report, Rhymes was performing a late-night gig in Fall River, Mass., in December 2002 when a woman, Celine Giguere, allegedly reached out and touched his chin. In a statement read in court, Rhymes said that when he saw Giguere reach for his face a second time, he grabbed her hand and said, "Please make sure you do not touch me again." The police report, however, said the rapper grabbed Giguere, shoved her head into a table and said, "If you try touching me again, I'll kill you." Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor A. Smith Jr., was also ordered to pay $300 in court costs. He'll have a clean record if he successfully completes the probation term, AP reports.
Producers Want To Keep Alamo Set Intact
Producers of the latest Ron Howard film The Alamo, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid and Jason Patric, would like to preserve the elaborate set constructed in the Hill Country near Austin, Tex., but it's not going to be easy. AP reports the movie's production designer, Michael Corenblith, told the San Antonio Express-News in Tuesday's online edition, "I would like to see groups of schoolchildren around there. I would love to see the state contribute a little money and for this to become Texas' version of Colonial Williamsburg. It could become a living history exhibit." The problem, says Alamo historian and college professor Stephen L. Hardin, is that the set materials aren't durable and it won't last. The film premieres in San Antonio, the site of the real Alamo battle, Mar. 27. It opens wide April 9.
Hollywood's Budgets Top $100 Million
The average cost to make and market a movie in Hollywood is now around $102.9 million, a 15 percent rise from 2003, according to the MPAA, which released figures at ShoWest Tuesday. Reuters reports the final tally for 2003 box office revenues came in at roughly $9.5 billion, down around 0.33 percent from the previous year, while the number of people entering movie theaters came in around 1.574 billion, down 4 percent from 2002. "Let's face it. Deficits are not only rising in Hollywood, but it is on center stage in Washington, as well. We've got to get them under sensible control," MPAA head Jack Valenti said.
Lifetime Picks Up Frasier
Lifetime, the cabler for women, picked up the exclusive cable rights to longtime TV series Frasier, which just ended its 11-year run on NBC. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lifetime beat out bids from Turner Broadcasting, MTV Networks and Oxygen and landed Frasier for about $600,000 per episode. The network will begin airing the sitcom in March 2006, when the local stations currently airing it lose their exclusivity.
Prince Signs With Sony
Prince, who was recently inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has given up his independent status and signed a deal with Sony Corp.'s Columbia Records, Reuters reports. The worldwide deal initially covers only the Purple One's upcoming album, Musicology, which Columbia will release in the United States on April 20. The album coincides with Prince's first tour in six years, which begins on Mar. 27 in Reno, Nevada.
Role Call: Darabont To Pen Mission 3; Harrelson, Harris Under Fire
The Green Mile writer/director Frank Darabont is replacing writer Robert Towne on Mission: Impossible 3, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Towne penned the first two of the series' installments but is free now to focus on his pet project Ask the Dust, adapted from the Depression-era novel by Jan Fante'S…Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris will join forces on 3000 Degrees, a fact-based drama about a fire that turned a century-old storage building in Worcester, Mass., into a cinderbox and claimed the lives of six firefighters in December 1999.

High school senior Kyle (Chris Evans) sees his dreams of becoming an architect crushed when he doesn't earn a high enough score on the SAT exam to get him into an Ivy League school. He learns he isn't the only one thwarted by the "Suck Ass Test " as it's labeled in the film: Kyle's best friend Matty (Bryan Greenberg) can't get into his girlfriend's college; overachiever Anna (Erika Christensen) froze when she took the test her parents expected her to ace; and star basketball player Desmond (Darius Miles) is feeling the pressure to get a good score so he can play ball for a good school. Since they all need an extra boost Kyle comes up with a plan to steal the answers from the local testing headquarters before they have to retest enlisting the help of edgy anti-establishment Francesca (Scarlett Johansson) whose father owns the building and Ray (Leonardo Nam) a stoner who overhears the plan and wants in. As the six execute the heist of their lifetime they discover a little something extra about themselves along the way.
The Perfect Score players are all fairly likeable in their parts including Evans (Not Another Teen Movie) Greenberg (WB's One Tree Hill) and Miles a real-life pro basketball player who makes his big-screen debut. Christensen who was so good in Traffic as Michael Douglas' drug-addicted daughter comes off the worst as the uptight Anna who's just yearning to break free. Ho-hum. But among the lesser roles are a few standouts. Johansson--recently nominated for two Golden Globes for her tremendous performances in Lost in Translation and Girl With a Pearl Earring--makes the absolute most of her character delivering Francesca's sardonic zingers with ease ("Gee Dawson I don't know if you and Pacey can pull it off!") and blowing fresh air into the often stale plot. Along with Johansson newcomer Nam is also refreshing putting a unique twist on the classic pothead character. He utilizes the usual stoner attributes--laziness laughter binge eating--but under the seemingly dim exterior Ray's actually more on the ball than the rest spouting prophetic non-sequiturs that somehow make sense.
Standardized testing has become an integral part of the American education system as well as a very large and profitable business. Apparently of the 2.8 million kids who graduated from high school in 2002 1.3 million took the SAT--and poured an estimated $250 million into test-prep courses. Yet the SAT has been a topic of debate for many years because it's allegedly biased against certain races ethnicities and genders. In The Perfect Score director Brian Robbins (Varsity Blues) accurately taps into every high school student's inherent fear of the dreaded standardized test making the point that the SAT really isn't very fair especially the score resulting from the four-hour marathon is weighed against the accomplishments of four years of high school. But how do you create a compelling narrative around this concept? The Perfect Score tries its best setting up relationships and reasons for the main characters to do what they do but ultimately it doesn't fill in all the bubbles. The setup takes a long time and the heist even longer and through it all the kids mostly stand around and talk about their complicated lives. In fact Francesca jokes at one point that they should all get real and dish about their feelings à la The Breakfast Club--which is indeed what they end up doing.

The Writers Guild of America, west and East announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen, television and radio during the 2003 season.
Nominees in the original category went to independent art-house films, including Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra for Fox Searchlight's Bend It Like Beckham; Steven Knight for Miramax's Dirty Pretty Things; and Tom McCarthy for Miramax's The Station Agent.
Nominees for the adapted category went mostly high-profile releases, including Anthony Minghella for Miramax's Cold Mountain; Frances Walsh &amp; Philippa Boyens &amp; Peter Jackson for New Line's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; and Gary Ross for Universal's Seabiscuit.
WGA noms are closely tracked as an indicator of Academy Awards sentiment. Guild winners in the original screenplay category have matched Oscar choices in 11 years over the past 21 while the WGA adapted screenplay award has matched with the Oscar winner in 14 years during the same period.
The films eligible for Writers Guild Awards were released in the year 2003 under the jurisdiction of Writers Guild of America, East and west and affiliate guilds in Australia, Canada, French Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and New Zealand.
In television, the nominated scripts were originally broadcast between December 1, 2002, and November 30, 2003.
The winners will be announced Saturday, February 21, 2004, at the 56th Annual Writers Guild Awards ceremonies on both coasts.
The Writers Guild of America, west ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles at the Century Plaza Hotel, and the Writers Guild of America, East ceremonies will be held in New York at The Pierre Hotel.
SCREEN NOMINEES
Original Screenplay
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, Written by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra, Fox Searchlight Pictures
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, Written by Steven Knight, Miramax Films
IN AMERICA, Written by Jim Sheridan &amp; Naomi Sheridan &amp; Kirsten Sheridan, Fox Searchlight Pictures
LOST IN TRANSLATION, Written by Sofia Coppola, Focus Features
THE STATION AGENT, Written by Tom McCarthy, Miramax Films
Adapted Screenplay
AMERICAN SPLENDOR, Written by Robert Pulcini &amp; Shari Springer Berman, Based on the Comic Book Series by Harvey Pekar and the Novel by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner, HBO Films/Fine Line Features
COLD MOUNTAIN, Screenplay by Anthony Minghella, Based on the Novel by Charles Frazier, Miramax Films
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, Screenplay by Fran Walsh &amp; Philippa Boyens &amp; Peter Jackson, Based on the Novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, New Line Cinema
MYSTIC RIVER, Screenplay by Brian Helgeland, Based on the Novel by Dennis Lehane, Warner Bros. Pictures
SEABISCUIT, Screenplay by Gary Ross, Based on the Book by Laura Hillenbrand, Universal Pictures
TELEVISION NOMINEES
Episodic Drama --any length--one airing time
"ABOMINATION (Law &amp; Order: SVU), Written by Michele Fazekas &amp; Tara Butters; NBC
"BOUNTY (Law &amp; Order), Written by Michael S. Chernuchin; NBC
"DISASTER RELIEF (The West Wing), Teleplay by Alexa Junge, Story by Alexa Junge &amp; Lauren Schmidt; NBC
"LOSS (Law &amp; Order: SVU), Written by Michele Fazekas &amp; Tara Butters; NBC
"PILOT (The O.C.), Written by Josh Schwartz; Fox
"7:00 P.M. -- 8:00 P.M. (24), Written by Evan Katz; Fox
Episodic Comedy--any length--one airing time
"DAY CARE" (Malcolm in the Middle), Written by Gary Murphy &amp; Neil Thompson; Fox
"MALCOLM FILMS REESE" (Malcolm in the Middle), Written by Dan Kopelman; Fox
"NO SEX, PLEASE, WE'RE SKITTISH" (Frasier), Written by Bob Daily; NBC
"A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO SHOES" (Sex and the City), Written by Jenny Bicks; HBO
Original Long Form--over one hour--one or two parts, one or two airing times
AND STARRING PANCHO VILLA AS HIMSELF, Written by Larry Gelbart; HBO
Episode 1, "BEYOND THE SKY" and Episode 2, "JACOB AND JESSE" (Taken), Written by Leslie Bohem; USA
CAESAR, Written by Peter Pruce and Craig Warner; TNT
WILDER DAYS, Written by Jeff Stockwell; TNT
Adapted Long Form--over one hour--one or two parts, one or two airing times
NORMAL, Teleplay by Jane Anderson, Based on the play Looking for Normal by Jane Anderson; HBO
OUT OF THE ASHES, Teleplay by Anne Meredith, Based on the book I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz by Dr. Gisella Perl; Showtime
RUDY: THE RUDY GIULIANI STORY, Written by Stanley Weiser, Based on the book Rudy! by Wayne Barrett; USA
THE STRANGER BESIDE ME, Teleplay by Matthew McDuffie and Matthew Tabak, Based on the book by Ann Rule; USA
Animation--any length--one airing time
"THE DAD WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE" (The Simpsons), Written by Matt Selman; Fox
"MOE BABY BLUES" (The Simpsons), Written by J. Stewart Burns; Fox
MY MOTHER THE CARJACKER" (The Simpsons), Written by Michael Price; Fox
"REBORN TO BE WILD" (King of the Hill), Written by Tony Gama-Lobo &amp; Rebecca May; Fox
"RESCUE JET FUSION" (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius), Written by Steven Banks; Nickelodeon
"THE STING" (Futurama), Written by Patric M. Verrone; Fox
Comedy/Variety--Music, Awards, Tributes -- Specials -- any length
THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, Written by George Stevens, Jr., Sara Lukinson and David Leaf; CBS
THE 75TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS, Written by Hal Kanter, Rita Cash, Buz Kohan, Special Material Written by Steve Martin, Beth Armogida, Dave Barry, Dave Boone, Andy Breckman, Jon Macks, Rita Rudner, Bruce Vilanch; ABC
Comedy/Variety--(including talk) Series
LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, Written by Mike Sweeney, Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Andy Blitz, Kevin Dorff, Jonathan Glaser, Michael Gordon, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Andrew Secunda, Allison Silverman, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg; NBC
MAD TV, Writing supervised by Scott King, Written by Dick Blasucci, Lauren Dombrowski, Bryan Adams, Bruce McCoy, Michael Hitchcock, Steven Cragg, Chris Cluess, John Crane, Jennifer Joyce, Tami Sagher, David Salzman, Richard Talarico, Jim Wise, Kal Clarke, Sultan Pepper, Bill Kelley, Maiya Williams, Dino Stamatopoulos, Rick Najera, Brooks McBeth, Jason Kordelos, Michael McDonald, Stephnie Weir; FOX
PENN &amp; TELLER: BULLSHIT!, Written by Penn Jillette, Teller, David Wechter, John McLaughlin; Showtime
REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, Written by Billy Martin, Scott Carter, David Feldman, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Ned Rice, Paul F. Tompkins; HBO
Daytime Serials
ALL MY CHILDREN, Written by Agnes Nixon, Megan McTavish, Gordon Rayfield, Anna Theresa Cascio, Frederick Johnson, Jeff Beldner, Janet Iacobuzio, Lisa Connor, Addie Walsh, Victor Miller, Mimi Leahey, Bettina F. Bradbury, John PiRoman, Karen Lewis, Amanda Robb, Rebecca Taylor, Christina Covino, David A. Levinson; ABC
ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Written by Josh Griffith, Michael Malone, Shelly Altman, Lorraine Broderick, Richard Backus, Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, David Colson, Leslie Nipkow, Michelle Poteet Lisanti, Becky Cole, James Fryman, Katherine Schock, Ginger Redmon, Daniel Griffin; ABC
Children's Script
"DON'T LOOK BACK" (Out There), Written by Willie Reale and Mark Palmer; PBS
FULL COURT MIRACLE, Written by Joel Silverman and Joel Kauffmann &amp; Donald C. Yost; Disney Channel
I WAS A TEENAGE FAUST, Written by Thom Eberhardt; Showtime
THE MALDONADO MIRACLE, Teleplay by Paul W. Cooper, Based upon the novel "The Maldonado Miracle" by Theodore Taylor; Showtime
Documentary - Current Events
"TRUTH, WAR AND CONSEQUENCES" (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS
"THE WAR BEHIND CLOSED DOORS" (Frontline), Written by Michael J. Kirk; PBS
Documentary - Other Than Current Events
BECOMING AMERICAN: THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE--BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (PART 2), Written by Thomas Lennon &amp; Mi Ling Tsui and Bill Moyers; PBS
"CYBER WAR!" (Frontline), Written by Michael J. Kirk; PBS
"THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE: THE STRING'S THE THING" (Nova), Written by Joseph McMaster; PBS
"THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE: WELCOME TO THE 11TH DIMENSION" (Nova), Written by Julia Cort &amp; Joseph McMaster, PBS
"THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL" (The American Experience), Written by Marcia Smith, PBS
"SEABISCUIT" (The American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
News - Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin or Breaking Report
"PASSING OF MUSIC LEGENDS" (CBS News Sunday Morning), Written by Robert Mank;
"CBS SHOWDOWN WITH SADDAM" (CBS News), Written by John Craig Wilson; CBS
News - Analysis, Feature, or Commentary
"BAPTISM BY FIRE" (60 Minutes), Written by Barbara Dury &amp; Morley Safer; CBS
"WALL STREET" (NOW with Bill Moyers), Written by Michael Winship &amp; Bill Moyers; PBS
RADIO NOMINEES
Documentary
AUTISM: SHADES OF GRAY, Written by Julia Kathan; ABC News Radio
News--Regularly Scheduled
AFTERNOON DRIVE, Written by Bill Spadaro; 1010 WINS Radio
WORLD NEWS THIS WEEK, Written by Stuart H. Chamberlain, Jr.; ABC News Radio
News--Analysis, Feature or Commentary
REMEMBERING ED BLISS, Written by Mike Silverstein; ABC News Radio
THE ROAD TO LAUGHTER: A TRIBUTE TO BOB HOPE, Written by Steven Gosset; CBS Radio Network
On-Air Promotion (Radio or Television)
BUFFY/ENTERPRISE, Written by Eric Jacobson; CBS/UPN